This invention relates to carcass-tracking apparatus housings, to carcass-tracking apparatus, and to carcass-tracking methods.
In a meat processing plant, carcasses are typically transported throughout the plant on metal hooks called trolleys or gams. It is very important to identify particular trolleys and associate them with the attached carcass to provide a processing history of the animal, as well as historical data pertaining to immunizations and hormone injections. Furthermore, yield quality as well as required FDA documentation is becoming a very important feature in the food processing industry.
Yet, identification of individual trolleys continues to be a challenge. Specifically, a primary obstacle is the environment within which the trolley is used. Specifically, carcasses weighing up to 1,500 pounds are transported throughout the plant. Accordingly, a suitably-sized trolley must be substantial in size and weight. These trolleys are often handled like most large industrial items in that they are thrown around and bump into one another often. Additionally, the trolleys can be thrown into a bath of caustic solution for sterilization and then dipped in oil to prevent rust. Typically, the lifetime of a trolley can be up to 20 years.
The harsh environment in which these trolleys are used precludes the use of bar codes because they would be destroyed during the normal operations. Even periodic replacement of bar codes is not practical due to the replacements costs. Additionally, blood and animal tissue often obliterates the bar code rendering reading thereof difficult if not impossible.
Current state of the art trolley identification consists typically of drilling a specific hole pattern in the metal shank of a trolley. Each trolley has a particularly unique hole pattern. Light is shone through the holes in the shank and a pattern recognition device is placed on the opposite side of the trolley. This device is designed to recognize unique light patterns and associate them with a particular trolley. Again, blood and animal tissue often blocks the hole pattern in the trolleys thereby causing misreads and erroneous reading of the trolley. A system of forcing air through the holes in the trolley has improved, somewhat, the reading accuracy. However, such system is cumbersome, unreliable, and still does not clear up the misreading problems. Additionally, drilling holes in the shank of a trolley can compromise the structural integrity of the trolley and diminish its useful lifetime.
Accordingly, this invention arose out of needs associated with providing improved carcass-tracking apparatus and methods.
Carcass-tracking apparatus housings, carcass-tracking apparatus, and carcass-tracking methods are described. In one embodiment, a carcass-tracking apparatus housing is provided comprising an enclosure dimensioned to contain a transponder and having first and second oppositely-facing surface areas. The first surface area is positioned for mounting against a surface of a carcass-transporting device. The first and second surface areas are preferably different from one another. In another embodiment, the housing comprises an enclosure dimensioned to contain a transponder and having a plurality of surfaces which face in different directions. One of the surfaces is positioned for mounting on a carcass-transporting device. At least two other surfaces have openings therein which are joined with a transponder-receiving space. The openings are preferably sized and positioned to accommodate wireless communication with a transponder which can be received within the transponder-receiving space. In yet another embodiment, a carcass-tracking apparatus housing comprises an enclosure having a transponder-receiving space dimensioned to receive a transponder. The enclosure has a pair of openings which face in different directions from one another, and the openings are joined with one another through the transponder-receiving space. Preferably, the openings have different shapes. Other embodiments are described.